Thread of Suspicion

by Susan Sleeman

  Luke had wanted to ask for details since Kat had mentioned it, but Dani seemed unwilling to share. Maybe now was the time to ask.

  He opened his mouth, but she suddenly shook her head as if clearing it and stepped over to him. “Do you want to tell me about what happened with your parents?”

  No. He wanted to hear about her stalker, not bring up a past he’d never spoken of outside his family.

  She put a hand on his arm and gazed at him. Her tender touch and compassionate look made him want to confide. But could he trust a woman with his feelings again after the way Wendy had tromped all over him? Especially a woman who had gotten to him as Dani had?

  “You can tell me,” she encouraged as she squeezed his arm.

  He focused his thoughts on his father to keep the warmth of her hand from making him lose all common sense and draw her into his arms. “After trying for years, I finally convinced Mom to leave Dad. She tried while he was deployed. He applied for emergency leave and tracked her down. He lost it and said he couldn’t live without her. Little did I know he meant he was ready to die and take her and my sisters with him.”

  Luke felt the horror of what his father had done rise up his throat and nearly strangle him. It took iron will to force it down before continuing. “He set the house on fire that night with everyone in it. Natalie jumped out a window. Mom and Hannah weren’t as lucky. If only God had intervened.”

  “Oh, Luke.” Tears moistened Dani’s eyes.

  He felt his own tears burning, but he looked up to fight them off. “Nat shattered her leg and has problems walking even now, but at least she’s alive.”

  Dani trailed her fingers down his arm, setting every nerve ending at attention. She took his hand. Her grasp was strong, yet warm. He didn’t want her to let go. Ever. But he couldn’t touch her and not want more. He stepped back. “I have to say my faith hasn’t been the same since. Pretty much nonexistent.”

  “I know what it’s like to lose someone you love,” she whispered, her voice filled with emotions. “And to question why God allowed the loss.”

  “What happened?”

  She moved closer to him, and he fisted his free hand to keep from touching her. “My birth parents died in a car crash when Derrick and I were nearly ten. Then, a few years ago, our adoptive parents were murdered.”

  “I know this may sound trite, but I’m sorry for your loss.”

  “Coming from someone who experienced the same thing, it means a lot.”

  She’d suffered great loss as he had. Made them kindred souls, and he wanted to embrace their connection to see if they could erase the differences that loomed large between them. He threaded his fingers through hers, then lifted their hands to rest on his chest, drawing her close enough to smell the sweet coconut of her perfume.

  He swallowed hard before going on. “Makes you want to protect those you care about, doesn’t it? That’s what your brothers are doing. They love you and want to keep you safe.”

  She shrugged. “Or they just want to be in charge.”

  “I’ll bet if they were honest about their feelings—which I’ll go on record as saying we guys rarely are—they’d tell you that.”

  “You’re speaking from experience, aren’t you?” She suddenly withdrew her hand and took a step back. “Are you as protective of Natalie as my family is with me?”

  “Of course. Maybe even more so, since she doesn’t have the skills you possess.”

  Dani watched him warily but didn’t speak.

  “It’s not a bad thing, Dani. Would you expect me to give less than my all for my sister?”

  “No, it’s exactly what I’d expect from you.”

  He opened his mouth to ask her to explain, but she held up a hand like a traffic cop. “It’s getting late. I need to get some sleep.”

  Bewildered at her sudden change, he watched her and waited for an explanation.

  “I’m sure you can find your own way out.” She turned and walked away.

  He fisted his hand and wanted to punch the wall. They’d shared something special for a moment. Something real. Something he hadn’t done in a long time with a woman. And like a puff of smoke, it had vanished, and he didn’t know what he’d done to make it disappear or if he’d ever get it back.

  ELEVEN

  In preparation for the family meeting, Dani finished connecting her laptop to the projector in SatCom’s conference room. It felt so good to be in charge of a case and out from under the watchful eyes of Kat and Derrick. They’d stuck to her like glue since escorting her to SatCom this morning. So Dani tasked Kat with hunting down the owner of the building that housed Computer Care, and she’d become engrossed in her computer. When Derrick went to get a cup of coffee, Dani had snuck out of Luke’s office.

  She sighed. Why couldn’t she let go of this incessant need to be independent as easily as letting out the sigh? She couldn’t simply lay it down. Not after years of fighting the family to let her grow up. She wanted to. How she wanted to. But she also wanted them to respect her as an adult and treat her as such. She’d worked too hard to let it go.

  Then there was Luke. What was she going to do about him?

  His admission last night that he was overprotective with his sister had confirmed what Dani already knew about him and should have served as a wet blanket on the feelings she was starting to develop. Just the opposite had happened. His compassion and caring as he discussed both his family and Natalie made her want to get to know him even more. Yet, if she did, she knew he’d stifle her. So she had to walk out on him before she did something she might regret.

  She was so confused.

  Father, I can’t seem to find my way here. Please help me sort this out.

  “You’re supposed to tell us when you leave the room.” Derrick’s irritated voice came from the doorway.

  Still weary from yesterday’s battles, Dani looked up at him. “With the way you and Kat are hovering over me like a helicopter, I needed a few minutes alone.”

  Suspicion darkened her brother’s eyes. “Or were you trying to meet up with Mr. Traitor on your own?”

  What? She watched Derrick. Usually a kind and sensitive man, he’d been acting like someone she didn’t know since he’d met Luke. He never jumped to conclusions about a client, and he never held to something that had no basis in fact.

  “Luke isn’t a traitor,” Dani said, and instantly wondered why she felt so compelled to defend him all the time.

  “Are you sure about that?” Derrick sat and propped one leg on the other.

  “There’s no evidence to suggest he is. Unless of course you found something in the background check and haven’t bothered to share it with me.”

  “As far as I can see, the dude’s clean,” he admitted reluctantly. “But that doesn’t mean he isn’t smart about covering his tracks.”

  “Are you saying he’s smarter than you? That he can hide his double dealings and you can’t find it?”

  “No. Of course not.” Derrick crossed his arms. “If he’s up to something, I’d have found it.”

  “So why the continued insistence that he’s a traitor, then?”

  He shrugged and stared at her. She knew his mind was working fast and furious, but he didn’t say a word.

  She leaned even closer. “It’s me, Derrick. We don’t keep things from each other.”

  He took a deep breath and let it hiss out slowly. “Guess I don’t like the way he looks at you. It’s no secret that he’s attracted to you, but come on, sis.” He paused for a long, meaningful look into her eyes. “That doesn’t mean you have to pursue a guy like this.”

  “So now, on top of not trusting me to take care of myself, you don’t think I’m a good judge of people.”

  “I didn’t say that.”

  “Then what are you saying?”


  “It’s just...” He lifted his shoulders in a shrug. “After Paul, I worry about you.”

  The last person she wanted to talk about was Paul. She’d given him too much control in her life already, but she had to talk this through with Derrick. “Do you think because I made a mistake with Paul that I can’t be trusted to know when a man isn’t who he seems?”

  “Kinda, yeah.” He rested his arms on his knee and took her hands. “We all worry about that.”

  “All, as in, you’ve talked about this with the family?”

  “Not about Baldwin specifically, but about what happened with Paul.”

  “And that’s why you’re so testy with Luke. You’ve lumped him in the same category as Paul.”

  “Yeah.”

  She couldn’t blame her brother for thinking that way. She’d thought the same thing until she’d gotten to know Luke. But for some reason it hurt that the person closest to her didn’t like the man she couldn’t quit thinking about.

  “I appreciate your looking out for me like this—you’ve always had my back. But you know what? I can’t really be who I’m supposed to be with everyone trying to coddle me all the time. In that respect, you’re like Paul.”

  “What?” He dropped her hands and sat back as if she’d slapped him.

  “Not the stalker behavior, but trying to control my every move.” She smiled to ease his concern. “Everyone’s treated me like this since I was a teen. Don’t go out for soccer, Dani, you could get hurt. Skiing is too dangerous. You’re too young to drive a car. Don’t do this or that. You stifled me and left me with nothing to do but sit home.”

  His face creased in confusion. “But you liked staying home with your computer.”

  She shook her head. “No, I got involved with computers because you all didn’t want me to tag along and get hurt.”

  “You’re kidding, right?”

  She shook her head.

  “Why didn’t you say something?”

  “I did. All the time, but you guys brushed me off.” She fought back tears that threatened from the years of frustration. “Why do you think I joined the FBI, then told you about it afterward?”

  “Because I would’ve tried to stop you.”

  “Exactly. And I’ve been fighting that my whole life.” She felt as if a heavy weight had been lifted from her shoulders, giving her hope for the future. “I just need you all to back off so I can show you how capable I am.”

  “Now?” Derrick shouted. “When Echo is after you? No way.”

  “I can handle your wanting to protect me from Echo.” She smiled sincerely. “Just stay out of my personal business. If I want to fall for a guy like Luke Baldwin, let me. Don’t interfere. Can you do that? Or at least try to do that?”

  “Yeah, I can try,” Derrick said reluctantly, then grinned. “But I still say Baldwin is the wrong guy for you.”

  “Luke’s not the wrong guy,” Kat said from the doorway. “He’s perfect for Dani.”

  Dani’s gaze flew up to her sister’s stubborn face. “So you have an opinion, too. Even though I’ve never even hinted that I was attracted to him.”

  “You don’t have to say it,” Kat answered. “It’s written all over both of your faces.”

  Was it really? “For your information, Luke is totally the wrong kind of guy for me.”

  “How so?” Kat took the chair next to Dani.

  “Derrick is right.” At the gleam in her brother’s eyes, she raised a hand to stop him from commenting. “Not about Luke being a traitor, but about him being wrong for me. He’s controlling and stubborn just like Paul. I doubt he’d ever stalk me, but all the same, I need to find a guy who’s easygoing and laid back.”

  “Easy to forget about the minute he’s out of your sight,” Kat said. “That kind of guy would put you to sleep.”

  “It’s my life, and I’m the one who decides who is right for me.” Dani met her siblings’ gazes one at a time. “But to keep you from worrying, trust me when I say you have nothing to worry about. If Luke Baldwin even hints at a relationship with me, I will run as fast and as far from him as I can.”

  A man cleared his throat from the doorway behind her, and she knew by the deep tenor that it was Luke. He’d heard her vehement disclaimer. She turned and fired a defiant look at him. When their eyes met, she felt that zing of interest flare to life, and she wished she could take back her comment. He issued a challenge with his gaze, and the promise she’d just made to her siblings disappeared in the blink of an eye.

  * * *

  Luke couldn’t keep up with the rapid-fire conversation flying around the table. From his military days, he understood the risk assessment the Justice clan was discussing, but the way they frequently interrupted each other and changed directions was beyond him. They surely knew their protection and investigative business.

  On the one hand, it made him feel better about Dani being involved in his case. On the other hand, it made him feel unneeded.

  That’s what he wanted, right?

  To focus on his business and not get involved with a woman until he could be the man he wanted to be. Especially a woman who’d just made it clear that she would run from him if he tried.

  So why couldn’t he take his focus off her? Off her striking eyes? Or the way she moved like a dancer at the head of the table? Or from the silky blond hair flowing freely to her shoulders? How would it feel to slide his fingers into it, cup the back of her head and draw her close for a kiss?

  “Baldwin,” Derrick snapped at him. “This is your company. The least you can do is pay attention.”

  Embarrassed at being caught in a daydream, Luke sat up straight. “I apologize. My mind wandered.”

  “It’s completely understandable,” Kat said, humor lighting her tone.

  Luke looked into Kat’s eyes, alive with fun and reminding him of a little imp. She knew he was interested in Dani, and she was encouraging it. Derrick would hang Luke by his thumbs if given a chance, but what about the other brothers?

  He surveyed the group. They glared at him as if he was consumed with a bad case of the plague and civilization would end if he and Dani pursued their interest. Just as she’d said. They were all protective of her.

  He turned back to Derrick. “What did you need from me?”

  “Dani has tasked me with doing a background check on your staff.” Derrick pushed his empty lunch plate away. “And I wondered when I could get their files.”

  “They’re in my office. You can start on them as soon as we finish here.”

  Derrick narrowed his eyes. “I’ll—”

  “Great.” Dani jumped in as if she felt a need to preempt her twin. “Next up is Smash. If we can gather additional information about him, it could lead us to Echo.” She looked at Cole. “Of all of us, you’re the least likely to stand out in the area of town Smash frequented.”

  Cole chuckled. “Thanks for voting me as most likely to fit in with a homeless crowd.”

  Dani grinned back at her older brother, and Luke could see she had a special relationship with him. In fact, as he thought about it, she’d shown evidence that she had a special relationship with each of her siblings. That she was the family member who got along with all. Maybe the peacemaker and confidante.

  So why was she running from him? Was he that bad?

  “Last on my list today is Security-Watchdog. My friend confirmed they were sued for copyright infringement but won the case. Still, he said the gossip in IT circles says they’re guilty.”

  “Copyright infringement is a hard thing to prove,” Luke said. “I feel for the guy, but it could be good news for us.”

  Kat nodded. “If they took advantage of this guy, believing they’re involved in sabotage isn’t such a big stretch.”

  “I agree,” Dani said. “I
have a lot of work to do on the software today, so can someone take lead on investigating this case?”

  “I’ll be glad to do it,” Kat offered.

  Luke’s phone chimed a text, and despite Derrick’s lecture on his distraction, Luke didn’t intend to ignore it. He felt everyone in the room watch him as he dug his cell from his pocket. He’d received a multimedia message from an unknown number. He punched a few buttons and a video started playing. On the screen, Dani, Kat and Derrick arrived at Kat’s house and entered the front door. A few frames later, the video showed a masked man standing in the same spot smiling up into the camera.

  Echo!

  He’d found Kat’s house, and if the time stamp on the video was correct, he’d stood on the stoop as they’d all slept unaware.

  Not knowing how he was going to tell Dani about this additional evidence that said Echo was a worthy foe, he looked at her.

  “What is it?” she asked. “What’s wrong?”

  He forced his apprehension aside and handed his phone to her but said nothing. She looked at the screen, and as the video played, her face blanched. She grabbed the back of the chair with her free hand. That now familiar urge to sweep her into his arms and offer his protection doubled, but he fisted his hands under the table instead.

  Derrick jumped to his feet and snatched the phone from her hands. He played the video and looked up, anger burning in his eyes. “Echo knew where Dani spent the night.” He handed the phone to Ethan, who shared it with Cole and Kat. “He obviously hacked into Kat’s security system to retrieve this video. The last bit is time-stamped at 3:00 a.m.”

  “This’s a warning to back off.” Dani planted her other hand on the chair. “He wants me to know that he can get to me even with all of you nearby.”

  “That’s not going to happen,” Derrick said with vehemence.

  For the first time since Luke had met Dani’s brother, Luke agreed with him, but he wasn’t sure how they were going to pull it off.

  “What I don’t get—” Kat set down her cup “—is how he hacked my system. Dani set it up, and that means this guy has to be as good as or better than she is.”